Six weeks of night works drives residents to edge

Following six weeks of night construction work to place gas pipes along the street she lives on, Linden Park resident Rosie contacted 891 Breakfast to describe her despair from lack of sleep due to the ongoing works.

Rosie told Matthew Abraham and David Bevan Wednesday morning that she had been able to manage just one hour of sleep Monday night, a few hours of early morning sleep overnight on Tuesday, and felt like she was bordering on physical exhaustion.

Neighbours along the street had contacted Burnside Council over the ongoing works, but were yet to receive a response.

After contact police to place a noise complaint, she was redirected to the council.

"I basically need my sleep and I've made every effort to put the fan on, to put the ear plugs in," Rosie said.

Construction work was being carried out in the area to lay pipeline for natural gas delivery.

"I'm concerned about people with significant mental health problems.

"I think it has driven me to the brink."

Construction problems

Peter Sauer, Manager of SA Network for APA, told 891 Breakfast the construction crews had been experiencing specific problems to the area where Rosie lives which were hampering their progress.

"Unfortunately the work that we are to do is essential work and the only time that we are given an opportunity to do that work is at night time," Mr Sauer explained.

He said precautions including rubber matting and the limiting of the volume of reversing beepers on machinery had been taken to attempt to minimise the noise from the site.

"The process that we use should mean that residents are affected at most for three evenings - one where they hear us coming, one where we are directly in front of them and the third evening where we are moving away."

Mr Sauer said crews had experienced 'unpredicted delays' on the Linden Park site with obstacles found under the intersection of Portrush Road and Greenhill Road.

He said crews had worked in the area for two weeks in December, and then from mid-January, with staff on site from 7:00pm till as early as 6:00am most nights.

Mr Sauer said that the company only became aware of Rosie's concerns on Wednesday, with a meeting arranged today to discuss issues and hopefully arrive at a solution.

APA stopped works at the intersection last night, claiming they had exhausted all avenues for navigating unpredictable obstacles in the intersection bar ripping up the road surface.

He anticipated if the intersection was to be excavated to allow the pipes to be run through the area, another six weeks would be required to complete the works.